Family Favourites
Growing up I think kiwi kids thought they were born in paradise, they were of course because it was and is still by world standards. Childhood is memorable for any number of reasons and sometimes there’s no getting past the fact that it’s memorable for the things we saw, did or ate!
John Griffin and his family started Griffin’s in Nelson back in 1864. He set sail with his wife and seven children from the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom towards a land of promise on the opposite side of the world. 100 days later their ship arrived in Nelson, New Zealand where they settled into their new lives.
Ten years after his arrival he set up as a flour and cocoa miller in Nelson. By 1890 his business was so successful that John was able to expand into making biscuits and sweets out of the raw ingredients he was milling. The tradition of quality ingredients and Kiwi recipes has been at the heart of our business ever since. Five years later following a fire in the original Nelson factory that destroyed the building he rebuilt the business by taking the company public. The resulting company was Griffin & Sons Limited.
A second fire in the early 1900’s razed that factory and in the end a probably more pragmatic Griffin decided that with the additional money was raised from the public the latest new factory was built using bricks instead of timber. Eight years on and with the rise in popularity the ‘Garden Factory’ was built in Lower Hutt near New Zealand’s capital Wellington. All the biscuit-making machinery was moved there from Nelson including an enrobing machine and the Southern hemisphere’s first continuous automatic biscuit-making oven.
In 1938 some of New Zealand’s most favourite bought biscuits were being made, old favourites like Gingernuts, Milk Arrowroot, Super Wine, Vanilla Wine, and Round Wine. I still think that Griffin’s Gingernuts remain the crunchiest in the world and make the best dunkers. C’mon, you’re not going to tell you never have! Griffin’s Gingernuts and a chilled glass of fat milk is still one of my most favourite things to do. When I lived in Sydney I absent-mindedly picked up a different brand, they were infinitely inferior. No crunch you see and it’s all about the crunch!
In 1939 with the outbreak of World War II, Griffin’s did its part by running the factory 24 hours a day to make army ration biscuits. All the while, they still found a way to continue producing biscuits for the us at home. Later they added some new machinery including two new electric ovens and an enrober to coat biscuits in chocolate and cooling tunnels. By the mid 1950’s an English immigrant to America called Nick Cody decided to retire to New Zealand.
Cody used his experience of manufacturing American biscuits and crackers to help expand Griffin’s range to include MallowPuffs, Chocolate Macaroons, Krispie, Snax and many others, all of them great family favourites though in our house they came in a firm second after my mother’s home baking. Biscuits were usually sent out in bulk tins to retailers, who would sell them either by weight or in small hand-made “penny bags.” With all the new product ranges and better baking machines, the first automated wrapping machines were soon installed and made quick work of getting products ready for the shelves.
After a number of acquisitions in the late 50’s-early 60’s. 1970 was a year for bear necessities. It was then that Cookie Bear was born and got his start as the ambassador for Chocolate Chippies and Shrewsburys. Although originally part of the Hudson Brand, Cookie Bear and all his biscuits eventually joined the Griffin’s family. Still in acquisition mode Griffin’s acquired Sweetacres a confectionery company that manufactured brands such as Jaffas and Minties, new equipment at the Lower Hutt factory helped them launch Pebbles which managed to beat rival Smarties to the market.
Fifteen years later Griffin’s acquired the classic British cracker brand Huntley & Palmers and firmly established it as a New Zealand favourite. Hot on the heels of the Huntley & Palmers acquisition they launched Chit Chats which proved to be a big hit with New Zealand taste buds. The company just seemed to go from strength to strength and in March 2007 became the No.1. Snack Food business in New Zealand and after all these years of service the Lower Hutt factory closed in December 2008. The company moved its ops to Papakura and Wiri facilities.
So here’s a little something to make a Saturday afternoon go down a treat using my favourite Gingernuts:
You’ll need:
1 Packet Griffin’s Gingernut Biscuits (crushed)
½ Cup Desiccated Coconut
½ Cup Crystallised Ginger (chopped)
¾ Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Cup White Chocolate Melts
Extra Desiccated Coconut
1. Combine the crushed biscuits, coconut and ginger in a medium bowl.
2. Place the condensed milk and white chocolate melts in a medium saucepan.
3. Cook over a low heat until the chocolate is melted.
4. Using moist hands, roll the mixture into small balls and then roll in the extra coconut.
5. Refrigerate for at least ½ and hour.
Enjoy!
